circle the world (leave us to burn)
by the alphabet soup
Summary: Sometimes Marina dreams of Six's symbol burning into her skin; on those nights she has to cling to reality because her dream feels all too real.


**Title:** circle the world (leave us to burn)

**Summary:** Sometimes Marina dreams of Six's symbol burning into her skin; on those nights she has to cling to reality because her dream feels all too real.

**Note:** Title from "Boy With a Coin" by Iron & Wine.

* * *

As the world spins on its axis, Marina watches as the light melts away from the sky to give birth to the night. The silence leaves an ache in her bones that will never leave, but on certain days the ache does not feel as strong. Her fingers trace the scars above her ankle, her lips parting as she remembers how painful the most recent burn felt. How the burn lingered for weeks just like his Legacy.

It's just the two of them now. Her and Six and this web of lies and truths and wavering between lovers and friends. They need this, Marina thinks, because it is only natural that two shards of the same clock try to complete the other. It is only natural.

Her hand moves to the next scar. Nine, vowing to die only when he killed Five, fulfilled his promise in the end. The sword that killed him was very much on target, but even so Marina saw Eight standing there again. The scar for Five hurt the least, but Marina felt a strange sensation of panic as it burned into her skin. It was almost as if she had failed to do something. Eight's symbol is engraved into her skin like a trophy, but she wears it not out of pride.

Sometimes she dreams of Six's symbol burning into her skin; on those nights she has to cling to reality because her dream feels all too real. It could happen because Six would never let Marina die before her. It would happen because it is going to. They are both going to die and the Loric will be only a memory. They will die, then Earth will die, and the Mogs will find another planet to destroy.

"Do you think we can still save Ella?" Marina asks Six who she knows is listening. She knows the answer to the question but she wants a lie to fall from Six's lips. Both of them need to hear that lie.

But they have already lied too much. "No. We tried before but whatever the Mogs did to her isn't something we can change." Marina's fingers again move to Five's symbol, and she closes her eyes. They had the opportunity to save him. To absolve him. But they didn't because they forgotten the definition of save.

She pulls her legs on the bed and turns her head away from the window as the setting sun dims the room. Marina turns on the lamp next to her bed, bathing the room in light that she doesn't think either of them deserve. She looks at Six who looks like a shell of who she once was. Both of them are little more than husks now. Even if by some miracle the two of them survive, the race of the Loric will die and everything the two of them did, everything _all_ of them did, will have been for nothing. The most they could hope for is to be remembered in human history.

Something tells Marina even if they make it to history books their stories will mean little to nothing to the humans. It would break her heart had it not been broken too many times before.

The bed sinks as Six sits next to Marina, grasping her hands that do not feel completely like ice. The contact warms something in Marina, and she turns her head to offer a feeble smile to the other girl. "When will all this stop?" she murmurs because she is selfish enough to hope for an ending. Six is just as selfish, but she does not voice it. There would be no point in parroting each other.

"Until we die." Six pauses then adds, "Until they die."

"But they _aren't_ going to die." Marina retorts bitterly. "They'll only die by killing themselves in their greed, and that will only be after we're dead." She thinks of Sam, killed trying to save John from drowning. She thinks of Sarah, killed protecting Six from a Mog. She thinks of Ella, no longer on their side because of something twisted Setrakus did. She thinks of Six, sitting next to her, and wonders if Six shares her thoughts. "But until then we'll kill as many as we can." It is a promise that she won't break. It is her wish.

* * *

When light floods back into the sky, Marina and Six awaken. They dress, pack, and hide their weapons before Six takes Marina's hand and they turn invisible. It is the only way they can travel and not be detected. Humans flood the streets, or at least they once had. Now, in department stores, at gas stations, in libraries, in every building imaginable Mogs lurk while humans stand back in terror. The streets of every city belong to the Mogs, and any sign of resistance is quickly snuffed out.

Marina notices a newspaper on the ground depicting Six's and Marina's faces on the front page. She doesn't have to read it to have an idea of what it says. The two continue to walk, their hearts beating louder as they walk away from the Mogs. Marina's hand begs to reach the dagger strapped to her thigh, it begs to drive the weapon into the Mog's mouth because it deserves it. All of the Mogs deserve the same death (except Adam, but his death was almost the same way). She cannot just walk by and let this Mog go free because too many people have died for them already.

But she does. And they leave this section of the city. And they live for another day. (Marina is counting them.)

* * *

The light dims as they kiss, as Six's fingers run through Marina's hair, as the door closes behind Marina and she falls on the bed. The light dims as Six's body moves between Marina's legs and they consent to forgetting the world around them for a little while. But as they kiss, as fingers trace the scars and as nails part flesh, they never really forget. To forget this world they would have to die and neither of them are ready for that (yet).

Fingers run along the sensitive skin of her stomach, touching the scars, despite Six knowing the crisscross of scars like the back of her hand. Marina could name the Mogs' weapons that did this to her but remembering now would be foolish. This moment is to forget the Mogs, to forget the disease they plagued upon the Earth. (But she never could forget even if she wanted to, and oh Lorien does she want to.)

Lips graze over the skin excruciatingly slowly, teasingly, and Six pulls her head from Marina's stomach suddenly to capture Marina's lips in a kiss. It ends too quickly, but then Six peppers Marina's neck with kisses, her teeth pressing against the skin, biting, and Marina forgives her. Her eyes close as a warmth fills her being, and a word which she had not considered before strains against her lips, begging to be released.

Love.

Did she love Six? She thinks she could have, once, had they not been the last of their kind. She thinks she would had their stories played out differently. They are almost in love. Almost. Maybe if they win this war. Maybe —

* * *

The world is engulfed in white, and they survive another month.

(She wonders what would happen if she stopped counting.)

* * *

The snow melts with the arrival of the sun, and their hands are torn from each other for the first time. Nails tear at skin in the hurry to entwine their fingers again, but even if the humans only saw them for a few seconds they break into a run and their nails dig into each others hands in fear of letting go. They aren't ready to die (yet).

She heals them when they stop to rest in a forest. She murmurs her apologies to Six who says the words are unnecessary, but even if Marina's heart has hardened she is still unable to let everything go.

* * *

She sees Eight once. But he disappears within a matter of seconds and she realizes, after the mirror is frozen solid, that even the Loric are capable of daydreaming.

* * *

It is not often that Six breaks, but when she does Marina is always there to hold her.

* * *

They press against each other by the fire, trying to conserve body heat. They had survived another year, but it is not counted as a victory because of how many times they have almost died destroying Mog bases, killing Mogs, saving what human allies they still have left. When Marina looks up, she memorizes how the stars flicker against the darkness. It brings a smile to her face.

Six notices Marina's contentment and looks up at the expanse of stars. She leans against Marina and their hands find each others even though they have no reason to be invisible. "Lorien is one of those." Six murmurs. "Lorien is up there waiting for us to return."

"It is." Marina agrees, her words sinking, and she grips Six's hand more tightly. If they die, she imagines Lorien will finally die as well. Or maybe it will remain a husk waiting for them to return.


End file.
